Kiez Connection: ESF+ Applied Research ESF+
Longitudinal evaluation of the Kiez Connection programme (funded ESF+ / Land Berlin / BBWA) — measuring social cohesion, civic participation and environmental behaviour change in multi-ethnic urban neighbourhoods.
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Participation Models & Co-creation
Comparative research on co-creation, deliberative democracy and participatory design processes — applying the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum and Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation to evaluate depth and quality of community involvement.
Youth Engagement & Agency
Studying what motivates young people to engage in sustainability action and what sustains that engagement over time — drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), collective efficacy research and the science of habit formation.
Community Design & Place-Making
Human-centred approaches to designing community spaces, programmes and governance structures — integrating design thinking methodology with community development theory and place-based evidence from Berlin neighbourhoods.
Methodological Approach
Cluster 4.3 uses Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) as its primary methodology, complemented by ethnographic observation, participatory action research, social network analysis and longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation designs. Research is conducted in close collaboration with community partners to ensure relevance and co-ownership of findings.